Erik and Magda, 1953
by AnyaLehnsherr
Summary: Erik and Magda's married life in 1953. I had to tweak his backstory a bit. Rated T for scary themes (i. e. references to Nazi concentration camps). This story is complete. The first chapter of my sequel is up now.
1. The Nightmare

In 1953, Magda and Erik were happy. They got married about two years before, and were dedicated to rebuilding their lives. Erik had found a job, and Magda was happy to be a housewife. Their lives were so normal, you wouldn't have guessed what pain they had survived. But they knew. Though they were happy, and moving forward with their lives, they were haunted by their past. Their love was the only thing that kept both of them going. Since Auschwitz, the only time either felt safe was in the other's presence. Erik had been working hard recently, and Magda was happy to have him home whenever he could be there.

Magda couldn't sleep that night, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. She always had trouble sleeping. Those memories kept her awake: what the guards had done to her, all those who had died, and all that fear. She went to make herself some warm milk. She wanted to be with Erik. He was the only one in her life who understood everything she had been through. After all, he had been there too. But she let him sleep. It was good for him. She almost envied him. She didn't know how he slept. He said that if he could sleep in the camps after what they had done to him, he could sleep in his bed next to his wife. It still sometimes took him a while to fall asleep, but today had been a hard day at work. Magda decided she couldn't wake him. She hoped her milk would help her sleep. As she drank it, she heard something from their bedroom.

"Magda?" It was Erik. "Magda?! Where are you?!" he called. He ran from the bedroom and held her in his arms. "Magda! Thank God! Thank God! My dear Magda. They were going to take you! They were going to take you from me. I thought I lost you. My dear Magda. My love." He held onto her tightly. Erik almost never cried. It was still programmed in his mind not to. Showing that kind of weakness was unacceptable for any prisoner in Dachau, especially a Sonderkommando like first it had been hard for him. He had been so young. To see and do such things at any age was nearly unbearable. After a while, though, he learned to ignore his emotions, to suppress them. It was easier that way. But tonight, as he held his beloved in his arms, after the nightmare he had had, he couldn't contain it. Between the pain of the memories and the fear of losing Magda, he was truly shaken.

Magda held him silently for a while. If anyone knew how to comfort him, it was Magda. Finally, she spoke while he sobbed. "Hush, darling. I'm here. I'm right here. We're safe, Erik. We're safe now." Erik eventually stopped sobbing, but Magda noticed he was still shaking. She could tell this nightmare had been especially terrible. She thought of how unfair it was. The whole thing had been unfair, of course, but it hurt her so much to see her husband like this. But this was no time to mourn her own pain. She wanted to help Erik. "What was it this time, darling? The doctor, Schmidt?" Magda knew about what had been done to him. She knew Schmidt had experimented on her Erik after he had been moved to Auschwitz. He never wanted to tell her the details. It was too painful for him, and he wanted to protect Magda from that knowledge.

"No. Not this time," Erik said, calming down a bit. "Dachau. The dead." Erik's face turned cold. He hated talking about that. As a Sonderkommando, he had been forced to help the guards with their terrible work. He knew in his mind that none of their deaths were his fault. Magda had helped convince him of that. But in his heart he still couldn't accept it. Magda pressed Erik to continue. "You know you can trust me, Erik. You can tell me anything. What shook you this badly tonight?" she asked. "I was there in Dachau. I was working the crematorium again." Erik shuddered at the memory.

Magda suppressed tears, both for the dead and for her husband. She had to be strong for him tonight. She silently took his hand to show him she was there. He feared she would hate him for what he had been forced to do. How could he live with himself? Not only had he survived when so many had not, there was nothing he could have done to save them. He felt he should have found a way. She knew he felt this way. She knew she had to show him it wasn't his fault, that she didn't blame him, and that nothing that happened to him in those camps could make her any less devoted to him.

"Erik, my darling," Magda said, "it's ok now. I'm here." "That's what scared me so much," Erik replied. "The dead whose bodies I was putting in the crematorium came back. They were so angry at me for letting them die. They were right, Magda. I let them die. They were going to find you. They were going to take you from me so I would feel their pain. When I woke up, you weren't next to me. I thought..." He began crying again. He melted into Magda's arms. "Magda, I promise you. I won't lose you. I promise to keep you safe. Nothing like that will ever happen again. Not to you, not to me, not to anyone as long as I live. I promise you, Magda. I will never let anyone hurt you again. Never again, my dear love."

Erik held his wife in his arms. He meant every word he said. He couldn't forgive those monsters for what they had done, much less forget. He wouldn't let himself forget, even if he could. It wouldn't be fair to his people, the countless souls who had perished. He had failed them in the camps by not saving them. He would not fail them by dishonoring their memory by forgetting, or sitting quietly, if, Heaven forbid, anyone tried to commit such atrocities again. What was most important of all to Erik was making sure no one hurt Magda again. He didn't care what he had to do. He would go to any lengths to protect them.

"Have some milk, darling. It will help us fall asleep again," Magda told him. She didn't know what else she could say. The fear from those memories gripped her. What Erik had said shook her. He thought it might happen again. That fear would make it even harder to fall asleep. Erik saw the fear in her eyes and decided it would be best for her to take the milk and change the subject. It was his turn to take care of her. "I should get my pay on Friday. I'm going to take you out, Magda. How does that sound? We can go to that little place you said looked nice. What do you say, my dear?" Erik asked. "That sounds wonderful, darling," Magda replied. She began to calm down a bit when he changed the subject, but she still needed some time. "You deserve a night out. You work so hard," Magda told her husband.

"I do it for us, Magda. I think the boss might give me a raise soon. I've worked for him long enough. He says I've really done good for him." Erik liked to tell his wife that. He liked that he took care of her and provided for her. He knew she deserved that. It made him feel so proud. "That's wonderful, Erik." That made Magda happy. He worked so hard. And, being honest, Magda loved that Erik treated her sometimes. "We can go out more," Erik said with a proud smile. "I can buy you beautiful things. Beautiful things for my beautiful wife." Magda blushed. He really knew how to day the right things to her.

"Or," Magda said tentatively, "maybe we could start a family. Have some children." Magda said this hopefully. She had suspected she might be pregnant for a little while. She didn't want to hide anything from Erik, but she was afraid. They hadn't really talked about children. They had been too preoccupied putting their own lives together. But now they had a little house and Erik had a decent job. She still didn't want to tell him until she was sure. Tonight she was testing the water.

"Children?" Erik asked. "I don't know, Magda. Have you been thinking about this long?" He would be lying if he said he had never thought of it. He had pictured himself a father, and the thought of Magda as a mother just made sense to him. She would be a wonderful Mama to their children. But he didn't know how good a father he could be. And there was another reason he felt wary about it. He had never told Magda the reason why he had been chosen by Schmidt to be his lab rat. Erik was still unsure about it himself. He knew one thing: he could bend metal without touching it. Schmidt had tried to bring out his ability. Erik had practiced a little since then, but not much. He could barely stand the memories of what Schmidt had done to him to bring out his powers. He had been so young. He didn't know how to control it then. He was still practicing. But he hid it all this time from Magda. He didn't know what she would think. He feared she would think he was a freak. He was a freak. If a monster like Schmidt thought he was a "fascinating creature," he must have been a freak. Even if she didn't leave him, he thought it would put her in danger. What if someone else found out? What if they hurt him for it? What would happen to Magda? Would they hurt the wife of the beast? He knew for a fact people could be that cruel. He couldn't let that happen to her. And this ability, whatever it was, Schmidt had said it was in his genes. What if his children inherited the problem? Whatever happened, no child of his would go through what he had. But how could he be sure?

"I don't know. A while." Magda responded. She couldn't tell how Erik felt about the suggestion. Did he not think she'd be a good mother? Was he not ready? She hoped he was just taken aback. Hopefully he would warm to the suggestion. She would try again. "Erik, we've been married about two years now. Hasn't the thought ever crossed your mind?" "Of course it has, my love. Of course I want to give you children. I want you to be a mother. My dear, you would be a wonderful mother." "Then why not? Darling, I want you to be a father. I want to be a mother." "What if they're not safe? I want children. I want to be a father. But, Magda, what if I can't protect them?" "Erik, you're the best protector I could ask for. There isn't any other man in the world I would rather have protecting my children. And the world is different now." "It's not different enough. They never caught Schmidt. He fled after the war. Magda, if we do have a family, I don't want the world our children are born into to have that monster free." "Darling, the world is safe for people like us now. I know how you feel, Erik. I'm still afraid too. But the past is over now."

She said that. But Erik wondered. Perhaps the world could be safe for Jews like him, or Gypsies like Magda. But what about people like him? People who had different abilities like his ability to move metal with his mind. Would the world be safe for them? Was there even anyone else like him out there? What if their children were like him? Erik could barely stand the thought.

"Erik? I'm tired. I'm tired. Let's go back to bed." "I think I'll stay up a bit more. Goodnight, my dear." "Do you want me to stay up with you?" "Do I want you here? Of course. But you need some sleep. Go to bed, Magda. I love you." "I love you too, darling." Magda was tired, but she wasn't sure how that conversation had gone. Erik hadn't said no to children, but he hadn't said yes. Would he be ready if she was pregnant? She knew he could be a good father. He was loving and a good provider and there was nothing he wouldn't do for those he loved. But his fear and anger might be his undoing. Magda knew he would never take out his anger on her or their child. But she knew he had so much anger for what had been done to him and his family. She knew that anger had to go somewhere. Magda crawled into bed thinking these things over. Soon Erik joined her. He had been thinking too. "Magda?" he whispered, "are you awake?" "Yes." "I just wanted you to know that if we do have a child, I'll love and support the two of you more than ever. You'll never have to worry. I'm here for you, my love. It would be pure joy for me to give you a child." Magda smiled and whispered back, "You don't have to worry either, Erik. I'm here for you too, darling, no matter what." After the night they had, husband and wife drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.


	2. Breakfast

Friday came quickly. Magda had made her decision. It had been long enough. She knew she was pregnant. Her body was telling her. She was going to tell Erik when they went out. She was beginning to get excited about the baby. She wondered if it was a boy or a girl. It didn't matter to her. She just wanted a healthy child for her and Erik to love. She did think Erik would like a daughter. She couldn't think too much about that. Otherwise she'd blurt it out when she served Erik his breakfast.

"Good morning, Magda," Erik said as he entered their kitchen.

"Good morning, darling," Magda replied.

Magda served Erik his breakfast and sat next to him with her coffee. They were two years into their marriage and Magda still hated to see Erik in the morning with his shirt off. Erik was a very good looking man. That wasn't the problem. The problem was seeing the scars on his body. What had Schmidt done to him? She knew it had been horrible. She didn't want to know, and she knew Erik didn't want her to ask. She stopped herself from staring. She had gotten good at

"You think you'll be home on time tonight, Erik?" Magda always wanted him home, but especially so tonight. She wanted to tell him the news.

"If I play my cards right, I might even be home early. Do you still want to go out?"

Erik hoped she would say yes. He wanted to tell her about his ability. If she wanted children, she had the right to know. He was so scared. The thing he feared the most was losing his Magda. He always feared it would be someone else taking her, the way the Nazis took his family from him. But now he thought she might abandon him. She already knew he had been a Sonderkommando. She had reacted with sympathy to that, rather than the disgust he had expected. Perhaps this revelation would go that well. Or maybe this would finally be too much for her.

"That still sounds wonderful, Erik."

"I have something I want to tell you tonight, Magda."

"Oh?" This made Magda nervous. It had to be a big deal if he was saving it for their date. The two of them usually told each other everything. They trusted each other. They understood each other. They each knew what the other had been through in the camps. They knew each other's pain. They had been together since childhood. At times they each was the only one the other trusted and could be understood by. Magda thought there wasn't a thing in the world he wouldn't tell her. She had to stop scaring herself. It was probably good news like hers. Maybe he had gotten that raise he said he thought he was getting soon.

"Thank you for breakfast, dear, but I need to get ready. I will see you tonight."

"Yes. I love you Erik. I have something to tell you tonight too."

"No matter what it is, I do love love you, Magda." Would she feel the same way? Would she still love him if he was a freak? If his children might be freaks too?

"It's good news, Erik. At least, I think it is." But what would he think?


	3. Deformed, or special?

Erik had a good day at work. He had gotten his pay at the end of the day, he was allowed to leave early, and his boss wanted to see him Monday "to discuss fair pay for honest work." Erik knew that's exactly what his boss had said to everyone else who had been given a raise. That would certainly make Magda happy.

If she stuck around after he told her about his ability, that is. He didn't know how to tell her. Would she even believe him? If he hadn't done it himself, he wouldn't believe it. Some days he wondered if it was some kind of a fantasy he had invented as a child to help him cope with what had happened to him. But he really did know the truth. He had bent that gate at Auschwitz without touching it. He knew he had done that, and he knew he had done things with his ability since then. After Schmidt had finished with him, he had only done small things with it, but he knew he could still use the ability. He had been good at it when he was with Schmidt. Schmidt had been a cruel madman, but he seemed to know how to get Erik to wield his ability. He always talked about how it was a gift. How Erik was something if Erik learned to control it, there wasn't anything he couldn't do. He had called Erik the next stage in human evolution. He said Erik was bringing in a true master race, one far superior to Hitler's Aryans.

Thinking of that man's words nearly made Erik sick. The man who tortured him, who killed his mother. That man thought he was something special. If a madman like that thought his ability was something good, what did that mean? But no matter how sick thinking of those words made Erik, something in him wondered if it had been true. Maybe it was a gift. Maybe instead of deformed, sick, or wrong, his ability made him special. Maybe, instead of a beast, he was the superior specimen Schmidt had told him he was. Maybe Magda would be happy about it. But would anyone else? Deep down, even if he was afraid, he believed his Magda would accept him no matter what. But what if anyone else knew he was different? Would anyone else think he was anything other than sick or deformed? Were the only people who could see him as anything good madmen like Schmidt? Thinking this made Erik nervous, but he knew he didn't have a choice. He loved Magda too much to keep this from her forever. Especially now that she had brought up her desire to have children. It wouldn't be fair to her to give her a child that might have the same condition as him without telling her the truth. He didn't know how he would handle it if she left him, but he loved her too much to hide it from her forever. He had to tell her tonight.


	4. Are you ready?

"Magda! I'm home!" Erik called. "Magda?"

"I'm here, darling." Magda had been getting ready for their night out. Erik was home early, which delighted her. She was always happy to see him, and tonight she was anxious to tell him about her pregnancy. She walked out to greet him.

"Hello, my darling." She kissed him on the cheek. Even after two years of marriage, she could take his breath away.

"Magda! You look so beautiful." She did look beautiful. She liked dressing up for her husband. She didn't have too many nice things as a child, so she liked that she could have some now. Magda and Erik weren't rich by any stretch, but Erik treated her when he could.

"Thank you, Erik," she replied. Erik took her hand.

"Don't sound so surprised, Magda. You're beautiful everyday. Everything about you." Magda blushed a little. It made her happy to know her husband loved her so much. Perhaps he would be as overjoyed as she was now about her pregnancy. Perhaps he loved her that much that he would want her to have his baby. She hoped so.

"Are you ready, dear?" Erik asked. He was so nervous. How could he live if he lost his beautiful wife? She was his whole world. He lived to love and care for his darling wife. She was the only bright spot he had in the darkest part of his life. Perhaps she would still love him. Maybe she would even see his ability as a gift. A gift he could possibly pass on to the child he wanted to give her. The daughter he wanted to give her. Yes. Erik could picture it in his head: he and Magda holding their beautiful little daughter. He wanted a daughter to raise in this new world. A world where she could be safe. He would make sure of that. He and Magda would give their daughter the childhood both of them had wished for. If only Magda would stay with him after he told her the truth. He knew people probably wouldn't accept him for being a freak- or whatever he is. But if Magda could accept him and would go through life together with him, they would be ok. He would make sure of that.

"Yes, Erik. I'm ready. I've been looking forward to this all day."

"Me too, my dear. Let's go then. Do you still want to try that little place in town?"

"That sounds lovely, Erik."


	5. News

Magda and Erik arrived at the restaurant ready to tell each other their important information. Both were nervous but trying not to show it. They were both wanting a nice night out too.

"How was your day, Erik?" Magda wanted him to get to his news. She would feel better going second with her news.

"Well, Magda, it was pretty good."

"An easy day?"

"Not exactly, but I think my boss is noticing how hard I've been working." Erik thought he would start with the good news. He was probably getting a raise on Monday. He was happy for his job. It was a good job, and he had generally felt his boss was a fair and humane man, so he never complained about anything. But he had felt for a while that he deserved a raise. Others who had worked there as long as he had who hadn't worked as hard as Erik had gotten raises. Erik sometimes wondered if it was because he was Jewish, but he knew that he was just being paranoid. His boss was different from the men who had persecuted his family in Germany. He wondered if he would always have that mistrust of others in his mind. He knew not everyone was like that, but he also knew that even those you never thought would betray you could get swept away by the hysterical fear of the unknown.

"I'm glad you say that, Erik. Of course he's noticing. You work so hard. You know I'm proud of you, darling. I'm a lucky lady, being married to such a great man as you."

Erik smiled from ear to ear. Despite any fear that he might lose her, Erik knew his Magda loved him. Erik knew he was important to her. He might not have been able to stop those Nazi monsters from destroying his birth family, but he knew he had a chance to have a good life with Magda now. Perhaps she would stay. Perhaps she would keep him in her life. Perhaps she would still want to have a family with him someday.

"Magda? How are you enjoying this night out?"

"Oh, Erik, I'm having such a good time."

"You like going out to eat? You like it when I can treat you like this?"

"Yes, Erik. I like it very much."

"I'm glad you say that, Magda. Because soon I'll be taking you out more often and treating you to nice things like a lovely girl like you deserves. Magda, my love, My boss asked me to come into his office Monday morning. He's going to give me a raise!"

"Oh, darling! That's fantastic!" Magda was thrilled. Not only was her husband getting the appreciation he deserved, this would be good for them right now. They could give their child the life Magda never had.

"I knew you'd be happy, Magda. Now, I know you said you had news. What did you need to tell me, my dear?"

"It's good news, Erik. Especially now. Erik, I love you so much. I'm such a lucky lady to have a husband like you who provides for me, protects me, and, most importantly, loves me. And pretty soon the two of us will have a little child to provide for, protect, and, most importantly, love. Erik, I'm pregnant."

Erik was stunned. It made sense now that she had been asking about children. He thought it had been hypothetical. He thought it was a nurturing young woman's desire to be a mother. He knew she'd make an excellent Mama, much like his own had been. She was caring and gentle and kind. But now that she was pregnant, he couldn't even warn her about his ability. She couldn't choose if she wanted to have children with him. Then he realized that maybe this was good for him. Magda didn't have to know. If the child had the same condition as him, they could cross that bridge when they came to it. Perhaps by then he will have found a better time to tell her. Maybe by then he would be more sure of whether it was a gift or a curse. Maybe by then he would understand it and how to use it. Yes. He could tell her when the time was right if he needed to.

"Erik? Erik, darling, please say something. I thought you would be happy." Erik had been quiet for what felt like an eternity to Magda. She knew it might come as a shock, but she had hoped it would be a happy surprise. Suddenly, Erik was happy. He had been so concerned with telling Magda about his ability that he had missed, for a moment, the happiest news he had ever heard in his life. He was going to be a father! Magda was going to be a mother!

"Magda, of course I'm happy! This is so wonderful! My wife is giving me a child! I'm going to be a father. My wonderful wife is going to be a mother! I couldn't be happier! Magda, my love, this is the best moment of my life!"

"Erik, I'm so happy to hear you say that! Can you believe it? We're going to be parents! Erik, my darling, you've made me the happiest woman alive."

"You've made me the happiest man alive. I'm going to be a father. We're going to be a family. I love you so much, Magda."

"I love you too, Erik."

And, just like that, at least for one night, the pair didn't feel any anxiety over their future family. All they had was bliss.


End file.
